Mercylife Training College in Kiambu has graduated its first batch of 18 healthcare trainees, positioning them to pursue opportunities in hospitals, home based care and other medical support services amid growing demand for skilled caregivers.
The inaugural graduation, held in October 2026, marked a new chapter for the institution, which began training students in January 2025 as part of efforts to equip learners with practical skills for employment in the healthcare sector.
The graduates received certificates in Health Support Services (HSS), a programme designed to prepare trainees for patient support duties, including assistance with daily activities, routine monitoring and care for people recovering from illness.
College officials said the graduates were entering a field whose scope is expanding beyond hospitals to include private homes and community based settings, where families increasingly require assistance caring for elderly relatives, people with chronic illnesses and patients recovering after discharge.
Dr Douglas Mwai Githinji, a medical resident officer at Mercylite Hospital and head of academics at the college, said the first cohort demonstrated the institution’s commitment to developing a workforce capable of complementing the work of doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals.
He disclosed that four of the 18 graduates had secured employment before completing their training, describing the development as an encouraging indication of the opportunities available to people with relevant practical skills.
“The jobs are there,” Dr Githinji said, urging the graduates to apply their knowledge and remain open to different areas of healthcare practice.
He said trained healthcare assistants could play an important role in supporting patients who require continued attention after leaving hospital, particularly those living with long term conditions that demand regular monitoring and assistance.
Such patients may need help with prescribed routines, mobility and personal care, while their caregivers must be able to identify concerning changes in their condition and promptly alert qualified medical personnel.
Dr Githinji said formal training helps caregivers understand their responsibilities and recognise situations that require professional intervention, distinguishing their role from that of individuals without specialised preparation.
He emphasised that healthcare assistants must work within the limits of their qualifications, maintain communication with medical teams and avoid undertaking procedures beyond their competence.
The academic head also called for increased government support for private training institutions, arguing that additional investment would strengthen skills development and widen access to healthcare related education.
He welcomed the recognition of relevant courses within the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) framework, saying accreditation had helped establish a foundation for the college’s training programmes.
Dr Githinji said the institution had adopted flexible learning arrangements to make training accessible to people who might be unable to attend classes on a full time basis.
The arrangements allow eligible learners to undertake some coursework part time or online before completing practical components through hospital based sessions scheduled in consultation with the institution.
He said the approach was intended to enable working adults and people with family responsibilities to acquire new qualifications without necessarily abandoning their existing commitments.
Encouraging prospective students to pursue further education, Dr Githinji said personal circumstances should not discourage those seeking to improve their skills and employment prospects.
He challenged learners to take advantage of available training opportunities, arguing that professional qualifications and practical competence could open pathways to work in an increasingly specialised healthcare environment.
The chief guest, Dr Abdi Adow, congratulated the pioneer graduates and urged them to view the award of their certificates as the beginning of a longer professional journey.
He encouraged them to pursue opportunities in different healthcare settings, gain practical experience and continue upgrading their qualifications as they progress in their careers.
Dr Adow said graduates should not restrict their ambitions to a single workplace or area of practice, noting that experience gained in entry level positions could provide a foundation for more advanced responsibilities.
“Let them start small,” he said, urging the new healthcare assistants to remain patient, take up available opportunities and build their careers through consistent learning and professional development.
He further encouraged eligible graduates to consider higher education, including degree programmes, to broaden their knowledge and expand their future career options.
Dr Adow cautioned, however, that Kenya’s loss of trained healthcare personnel to foreign labour markets remained a concern, warning that the departure of skilled workers could weaken the country’s capacity to meet domestic healthcare needs.
His remarks underscored the challenge of balancing the aspirations of professionals seeking better opportunities abroad with the need to retain adequate personnel to serve Kenyan patients.
He urged the graduates to approach their careers with humility, discipline and a commitment to providing quality care, regardless of where their professional journeys take them.
Mercylife Training College director Rosemary Nyambura Kuria said the graduation represented a significant milestone for the institution as it seeks to increase the number of people trained to provide patient-support services.
She attributed the rising demand for caregivers partly to changing family needs, including the responsibility of looking after elderly people, patients with chronic conditions and individuals who require assistance with everyday activities.
Kuria said the college planned to broaden its training programmes to cover additional support functions within healthcare facilities, including diagnostic departments, operating theatres and other clinical environments.
She said appropriately trained support staff could help improve the delivery of healthcare services by assisting professionals with designated duties while observing established standards and procedures.
The director added that the institution was seeking to make its programmes accessible to learners from different academic and employment backgrounds, including those wishing to acquire additional skills while already in work.
According to Kuria, the courses were designed to provide a relatively affordable route into healthcare-related careers for students who might face difficulties pursuing other forms of higher education.
She urged young people and other prospective learners to consider opportunities within Kenya rather than assuming that meaningful employment in healthcare could only be found abroad.
Kuria said demand for caregivers extended to households that needed assistance for relatives unable to manage their daily routines independently.
Some families, she noted, require support with routine health monitoring under appropriate guidance, while others need assistance caring for children with developmental challenges in coordination with qualified professionals.
She said the college’s training approach was intended to prepare students for these varied responsibilities while emphasising the importance of professional boundaries and patient safety.
The institution is located in Kiambu town, behind Mercylite Hospital and opposite the Kiambu Law Courts.
The college’s establishment forms part of the wider expansion of the Mercylite organisation, which began its healthcare operations in 2013.
According to information presented by the institution, Mercylite Hospital in Kiambu is a Level Four facility with a bed capacity of 74, while its Ruiru branch is a Level Three hospital with 22 beds.
The organisation has also diversified into hospitality through Travas Hotel in Kiambu and Food Zetu in Kirigiti.
The opening of the training college in January 2025 added education and professional skills development to its activities, with the institution seeking to prepare learners for opportunities in the labour market.
College officials said the programmes were structured to combine classroom learning with practical exposure, giving trainees a foundation for the responsibilities associated with supporting patients and healthcare teams.
During the graduation ceremony, the principal urged the new graduates to uphold competence, compassion, confidentiality and ethical conduct in their dealings with patients.
She reminded them that every patient deserved dignity and respectful treatment, regardless of age, medical condition or personal circumstances.
The principal also acknowledged parents and guardians for supporting the students through their studies, as well as tutors and medical professionals who contributed to their preparation.
The head of the nursing assistance department echoed the message, telling the graduates that caregiving required accountability, trustworthiness and a genuine commitment to serving others.
The graduation comes at a time when patient care increasingly extends beyond hospital wards into homes and community settings, creating a need for people with appropriate skills to support recovery and routine care.
For families dealing with long term illnesses, trained assistance can help patients manage daily activities and follow care plans provided by healthcare professionals. It can also ease some of the responsibilities shouldered by relatives who provide support at home.
However, speakers stressed that caregivers must understand the boundaries of their roles, protect patient confidentiality and seek assistance from qualified medical personnel whenever a situation exceeds their training.
They said professional caregiving should be guided by safety, compassion and respect, rather than the mere completion of a training course.
For Mercylife Training College, the graduation of its first 18 students provides a foundation on which it hopes to expand its training programmes and prepare additional personnel for healthcare support roles.
The four graduates who had already secured employment offered an early indication of possible entry points into the labour market, although the longer term prospects for the pioneer class will depend on their skills, experience and the availability of suitable positions.
As they begin their careers, the graduates have been challenged to combine technical knowledge with integrity, empathy and a willingness to continue learning.
For the institution, the inaugural ceremony was both a celebration of the students’ achievement and a statement of its ambition to contribute to the development of a better prepared healthcare support workforce in Kenya.
